COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR MANAGING RESOURCE POOL INFORMATION

• US 20130117427A1
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Amano, Takashi, Nagami, Akihisa, Kaneda, Yasunori, Nakajima, Noriko
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A computer system is provided that is capable of reducing an administrator'"'"'s operational errors by connecting a new server to a SAN and automating a SAN boot setting, and capable of lightening the administrator'"'"'s task of checking for a wrong connection by detecting a wrong connection made when a new server is connected to an SNW connection device. Once a new server connected to a PnP SAN starts with a boot program obtained from a boot management server, the new server transmits configuration information on the new server to a resource management server. In response to a request from the resource management server, a storage device refers to PnP SAN information to transmit SAN information on a storage network connection device to which the new server is connected. The resource management server determines to add the new server to a resource group on the basis of the SAN information and requirement information. The resource management server sets the storage device and the new server for SAN-booting the new server.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers;

a resource management computer that manages configuration information on the computers;

a storage subsystem for storing data;

a network that couples the plurality of computers with each other and couples the plurality of computers with the storage subsystem; and

a plurality of SNW connection devices that couple at least one of the plurality of computers with the storage subsystem via a SAN, wherein

at least one of the SNW connection devices operates as a PnP SAN connection device for executing a SAN boot,

a first computer coupled with the PnP SAN connection device transmits the configuration information on the first computer to the resource management computer,

the storage subsystem obtains property information on the PnP SAN connection device with reference to SAN type information for managing information on computers coupled with the plurality of SNW connection devices, and transmits the property information to the resource management computer, and

the resource management computer determines whether or not to set the first computer as a target to execute the SAN boot on the basis of information on a configuration requirement required for a computer to be a target to execute the SAN boot, the property information, and the configuration information, and, according to a result of the determination, manages the first computer as a target to execute the SAN boot and presents information on the target to execute the SAN boot.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein

the first computer and the storage subsystem cooperate to execute the SAN boot and set a logical storage area in the storage subsystem to be available to the first computer.

3. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of computers operates as a boot management computer holding a boot program that performs a process for transmitting the configuration information on the first computer to the resource management computer, and

the first computer obtains the boot program from the boot management computer via the network and executes the boot program.

4. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein

the resource management computer obtains fabric information indicating information on devices connected to each SNW connection device from the plurality of SNW connection devices and, in response to an instruction to set the PnP SAN connection device, sets the PnP SAN connection device and presents information on the set PnP SAN connection device.

5. A computer system according to claim 4, wherein

the storage subsystem obtains the fabric information and holds the fabric information as the SAN type information, and manages the SNW connection device set as the PnP SAN connection device in the SAN type information.

6. A computer system according to claim 5, wherein

the PnP SAN connection device updates the fabric information in response to connection of a newly added computer,

the resource management computer determines whether the newly added computer satisfies the configuration requirement and determines whether to include information on the newly added computer into targets to execute the SAN boot, and

the storage subsystem includes the information on the newly added computer into information on devices connected to the PnP SAN connection device in the SAN type information.

7. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein

the storage subsystem holds a boot program that performs a process for transmitting the configuration information on the first computer to the resource management computer, and

the first computer obtains the boot program from the storage subsystem and executes the boot program, and transmits the configuration information to the resource management computer.

8. A method in a computer system for managing information on a resource pool indicating a plurality of computers configurable to execute a SAN boot,

the computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers;

a resource management computer that manages configuration information on the computers;

a storage subsystem for storing data; and

a plurality of connection devices that couple at least one of the plurality of computers with the storage subsystem via a SAN, the method comprising the steps of;

the resource management computer, in response to an input setting request, setting at least one of the plurality of connection devices to operate as a SAN-booting connection device for executing the SAN boot;

a first computer coupled with the SAN-booting connection device transmitting the configuration information on the first computer to the resource management computer;

the storage subsystem obtaining property information on the SAN-booting connection device with reference to SAN type information for managing information on computers coupled with the plurality of connection devices, and transmitting the property information to the resource management computer;

the resource management computer determining whether or not to set the first computer as a target to execute the SAN boot on the basis of information on a configuration requirement required for a computer to be a target to execute the SAN boot, the property information, and the configuration information; and

the resource management computer adding the first computer to the resource pool as a target to execute the SAN boot and presenting information on the resource pool according to a result of the determination.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

the first computer and the storage subsystem cooperating to execute the SAN boot; and

the storage subsystem setting a logical storage area in the storage subsystem to be available to the first computer.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein

at least one of the plurality of computers operates as a boot management computer holding a boot program that performs a process for transmitting the configuration information on the first computer to the resource management computer,

the method further comprising the step of

the first computer obtaining the boot program from the boot management computer and executing the boot program.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

the resource management computer obtaining fabric information indicating information on devices connected to each connection device from the plurality of connection devices; and

the resource management computer setting the SAN-booting connection device and presenting information on the set SAN-booting connection device in response to an instruction to set the SAN-booting connection device.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of

the storage subsystem obtaining the fabric information and holding the fabric information as the SAN type information, and managing the connection device set as the SAN-booting connection device in the SAN type information.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

the SAN-booting connection device updating the fabric information in response to connection of a newly added computer;

the resource management computer determining whether the newly added computer satisfies the configuration requirement and determining whether to include information on the newly added computer into the information on the resource pool; and

the storage subsystem including the information on the newly added computer into information on devices connected to the SAN-booting connection device in the SAN type information.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein

the storage subsystem holds a boot program that performs a process for transmitting the configuration information on the first computer to the resource management computer,

the method further comprising the step of

the first computer obtaining the boot program from the storage subsystem and executing the boot program, and transmitting the configuration information to the resource management computer.